Porirua to Host National Pacific Dance Arts Residency

Porirua to Host National Pacific Dance Arts Residency

16th July 2013

This weekend the national Pacific Dance Artist in Residence programme 2013 will be launched at Pataka Art Museum in Porirua.

This year’s residency run by Pacific Dance NZ with mentoring support by DANZ (Dance Aotearoa NZ) will be the first time it has been delivered outside Auckland and will be hosted at three different venues: Pataka Art Museum, Windley School and Porirua College.

The residency has been a feature on the New Zealand dance arts scene since 2010 and is one of only two recurrent national arts residencies offered specifically for artists of Pacific Islands’ descent.

This year’s artist in residence is Porirua local – Tupe Lualua.

Tupe is an established Samoan dance instructor and choreographer based in Porirua, Wellington. She is a performing arts lecturer at Whitireia New Zealand and has over ten years experience across the performance and education industry.

Tupe’s residency will be spread over a two-month period between 20th July and September 6th and will include workshops at local Porirua schools and the development of a new dance work based on Fa’afiafiaga Fa’aSamoa – a repertoire of traditional Samoan dance.

Tupe has this to say about what she would like to achieve during her residency:

“In this Residency I would like to celebrate diversity. Porirua is a vibrant city rich with different cultures. Not only different ethnicities and nationalities but also different human forms, shapes, and ages. Music and dance transcends human differences and builds cultural bridges. I believe when people sing and dance, they are in their true self, presenting the spirit and life connecting them to the physical and spiritual worlds as well as being in an element where they feel at "home". This residency will be an opportunity for people who have a keen passion for dance and music to share their talents, do what they love and explore their creativity.”

Sefa Enari, director of Pacific Dance NZ says that:

“…the move from South Auckland to Porirua was a natural progression for the residency in really becoming a national event. As one of the few programmes which is specifically aimed at Pacific artists, it has also developed into a much needed ‘cultural heritage’ project. Given the growing population of Pacific young people, this residency serves to contribute to the cultural knowledge base of our youth and in doing so, maintain the links between our homelands and Aotearoa.”

The residency will be launched on Saturday by Luamanuvao Winnie Laban, the Chair of the Pacific Arts Committee and Assistant Vice Chancellor at Victoria University.

Tupe is the fourth recipient of the Pacific Dance Artist in Residence. Past recipients have been – Justin Haiu (2010), Keneti Muaiava (2011) and Sesilia Pusiaki Tatuila (2012).

Tupe Lualua is a graduate of the Whitireia Bachelor of Applied Arts (Performing Arts) and is currently completing a post-graduate diploma in Pacific Studies at Victoria University. She has performed and choreographed in several plays and dance works including – The Factory (2011), Poly-Zygotic (2009), and Fatu na Toto (2013). She has also toured extensively with both Whitireia New Zealand, Taumata Pasifika Dance Company and Waka Ura Cultural Dance Company, which she also managed (2005 – 2008).

For more information visit – www.pacificdance.co.nz

ENDS

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